Sustainable architecture is an exciting and important field, with many people reviving traditional methods of building and others creating innovations to established practices. Kelly Hart, webmaster of the popular website www.greenhomebuilding.com, posts text and photos featuring what he discovers from around the world.

About Me

Kelly Hart has been involved with green building concepts for much of his life. He has also worked in various fields of communication media, including still photography, cinematography, animation, video production and now website development. Kelly has lived in an earthbag/papercrete home that he built and consults about sustainable building design.

June 09, 2005

Sustainable AID Center in South Africa

For the past twelve years Joe Kennedy has been intimately involved in creating sustainable settlements in South Africa, trying to create models of dwellings that could serve the poor. In 2003 he was approached by the NextAid organization to help them create a child support center in a rural town outside of Johannesburg called Dennilton. Dennilton is faced with extreme poverty (95% unemployment) and a 40% HIV infection rate. This center, for a group called Youth With a Vision, will eventually incorporate an orphan/elder ecovillage, performance and study spaces, a micro-enterprise element and sustainable food production systems. It is their hope that this center can be the first of many to serve the over 12 million orphans of the HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa.NextAid has purchased a 16-acre piece of land that will be the site of the center. During the 2½ week design/building and training intensive in July they will be developing the design of the center and initiating construction of a house and general purpose space to be used by Youth With a Vision. They will be using local materials such as earth to minimize cost and make the building systems available to the local community. They will be working with a local builder who will be continuing work with the community after the intensive training session is completed. Joe will also be working with local colleagues in Cape Town to develop housing strategies for the crowded townships and informal settlements there.

Joe is seeking to raise $3,000 in the next five weeks to support his involvement in this project and would appreciate your help. Additional information on the project can be found at http://www.nextaid.org Donations are tax-deductible and can be made to Village Renaissance, Joe's "social profit" institute founded in 2004. He can accept PayPal(http://www.paypal.com) payments (including credit cards) using the email livingearth62@hotmail.comJoe KennedyVillage Renaissance737 Mill StreetSanta Rosa, CA 95404Livingearth62@hotmail.com